Big Brother Knows Best
by FanofBellaandEdward
Summary: Being a big brother wasn't easy, but Itachi wouldn't have it any other way. Itachi's pov; AU so no shinobi; fluff; some angst; slash in later chapters
1. Chapter 1: Five years

**Author's note: My brain is a random place. It decided that after seeing some scenes of Itachi's arc, it needed to come up with random ideas. So this is the result AKA I have no clue what on earth I wrote LMAO**

 **So this story will have five relatively short chapters, each one being a random scene in Itachi's life where he exercises his role as big brother - somewhat. So there.**

 **Warnings: Itachi's pov; AU so no shinobi (which of course changes their personalities slightly); fluff**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Kishimoto owns it.**

 **I hope you'll like this!**

* * *

 _Chapter 1) Five years_

The hospital smelt sterile and the five year old wrinkled his nose, disliking the scent immediately. Around him nurses – all clad in white uniforms and most of them holding clipboards – bustled around, slipping into rooms and talking to the patients occupying the beds. Two doctors rushed past him; their heavy footsteps thundering loudly through the hallway as they shouted to one of the nurses to prepare for surgery.

Black eyes took these scenes in calmly, the owner of them not in the least ruffled by all the ruckus and noise. Small hands held a closed book in his lap; he had been reading in it for a while, but his attention had wandered away as the seconds ticked by without the door a bit further down the hallway opening. Impatience stirred in him slightly; for how much longer would he be confined to the hallway?

A heavy, large hand descended on his shoulder and he looked up; his gaze trailing over long, black hair that had started greying around a year ago.

Grandfather regarded him calmly and nodded towards the blushing nurse waiting in front of them. "It's time, Itachi-kun. Follow the nurse; she'll bring you to your parents."

"You don't want to see him?" Itachi slipped from the chair, cocking his head curiously to the side. He had thought grandfather would want to visit first, considering he was still head of the family.

The older man smirked, taking the book from Itachi's pale hands. "I'll wait here. I can wait a bit longer unlike some others."

Itachi narrowed his eyes slightly, feeling like the jab was directed at him, but after a short huff, he followed the dark blonde haired nurse deeper into the hallway.

"I'm sure you're excited now," the nurse chattered friendly as she led him past several closed doors.

Itachi let out a non-committal sound, not interested in the slightest to keep the conversation going with the bubbly nurse. He was only focused on one thing and chatting with the over friendly nurse wasn't it.

Fortunately she seemed to understand that, because she quietened down and only spoke again when she knocked on a white door, "Here you are. Uchiha-san, here is your son."

Mother looked up; she was lying in the hospital bed, back supported by several pillows. Her beautiful, black hair was tied back in a low ponytail and some strands still stuck to her forehead. Her cheeks were still ruddy red and she looked tired, but her face cleared up when Itachi walked into the room.

"Itachi! Don't keep standing there," she chided him with a laugh. "Come closer, silly."

Father took a step back from the bed where he had been leaning over mother and helped Itachi settle on the mattress, next to mother's knees. Father's hands left him and then mother was tugging him closer by his wrist. Itachi acquiesced and shuffled closer; his eyes fixated on the bundle of blue blankets cradled against mother's chest.

As soon as mother was satisfied that her son was close enough, she reverently pushed the blanket open, revealing a small, chubby, pale face. A small tuft of black blue hair peeked out from underneath the blanket and then dark eyes opened, blinking sleepily at Itachi. The baby yawned, smacking his rose bud coloured lips together loudly and two chubby fists opened and closed, revealing ten small fingers.

"Itachi, meet your little brother, Sasuke," Mother announced proudly.

"Sasuke," Itachi murmured and watched in awe how the baby, his little brother, fussed sleepily, uttering mewl like sounds. For months he had waited impatiently for his brother to be born, had felt him tumbling and kicking underneath his hands and cheek whenever he had felt mother's belly.

And now he was finally here. Small, warm and perfect.

"Would you like to hold him?" Mother asked gently and he nodded, stretching out his arms.

With father's help, he got situated better on the bed, leaning back against mother's raised legs and then a warm weight was placed in his arms and he was holding his little brother against his chest.

Dark eyes – they would be like his own, he knew – regarded him curiously and the older boy smiled, pressing a careful kiss on Sasuke's forehead; inhaling the comforting baby scent.

"I'll take good care of you," Itachi promised, carefully tightening his grip around the baby.

Whatever would happen, he would protect his brother.

The door suddenly slammed open and Aunt Kushina entered with an excited grin. "And where is my new nephew?" she cooed; one hand placed on her own belly in which she had been housing her first child for six months already.

Uncle Minato followed closely behind with an exasperated look on his face. "Kushina, honey, you can't just barge in like that! Uchiha-san is still waiting outside to see his grandson."

Aunt Kushina waved his concern away and eagerly approached the bed. "He can wait a bit longer. I want to see my new nephew!" Warm, purple coloured eyes studied Sasuke carefully and a bright grin broke out on her face. "Aw, look how cute he is, Minato!"

"I'm so sorry for the intrusion," Uncle Minato apologised to father with red cheeks.

"I've become used to it," Father replied dryly.

"May I hold your brother, Itachi-kun?" Aunt Kushina asked curiously.

Dark eyes blinked, but Itachi nodded and handed over his brother carefully. Sasuke didn't react to the transfer; he only blinked and gurgled a bit while Aunt Kushina cooed at him. Then her head suddenly shot up and she looked at mother with terrified eyes.

"Tell me, does it really hurt as much as they say it does?" she whispered and sounded scared.

Mother blinked and laughed amused. "So there _is_ something you're scared of!" she replied teasingly, but didn't answer the actual question.

"Mikoto!" Aunt Kushina whined, but then sighed and looked down at Sasuke again. "Well, at the very least I hope my son and yours will be best friends."

"We'll see," Mother smiled and that was that.

* * *

A couple of months later, on the tenth of October, Itachi once again found himself at the hospital. This time, however, it was to visit Uncle Minato and Aunt Kushina; she had given birth to a boy a couple of hours ago.

"He's adorable, Kushina," Mother smiled as she bent over the pale blue blanket.

A small baby with bright blue eyes blinked up at her. His hands were closing and opening and fine, blond hair was partly hidden by the blanket.

"He is, isn't he?" Aunt Kushina grinned proudly, though she still looked a bit exhausted. Her purple eyes flicked over to Itachi, who was holding Sasuke in his arms. "Why don't you come greet your nephew, Itachi-kun?"

Itachi nodded and slowly made his way over to the bed, careful not to jostle his little brother. Mother took over Sasuke, so that he could climb onto the bed and take a better look at the new born baby boy.

"Say hello to Naruto," Uncle Minato said; pride audibly ringing through his voice. He was seated right next to Aunt Kushina, one arm wrapped around her shoulders.

"Would you mind being a big brother to Naruto as well, Itachi-kun?" Aunt Kushina asked softly as she stroked Naruto's cheek.

"I don't mind," Itachi spoke honestly, shrugging.

If Sasuke and Naruto really became good friends, it was only natural if he acted like Naruto's big brother as well.

* * *

 **AN2: I'm a sucker for big brother Itachi.**

 **Please leave your thoughts behind in a review; should you spot any mistakes, please point them out to me.**

 **See you all in the next chapter hopefully!**

 **Cuddles**

 **Melissa**

 **P.S. For more information about my upcoming and posted stories, please visit my profile.**


	2. Chapter 2: Ten years

**Author's note: I'm pleasantly surprised by how this story is received :) Of course, I don't complain about your positive feedback! I hope I will not disappoint you with the rest of my chapters!**

 **Thanks to the following reviewers: the4elements; solitare1; Ageha Yume; Anonymous Syd; yukino76; kyashidi iwa; EvilThatThata; yaoilover1013**

 **Warnings: a bit of bigotry; a bit of bullying; small hint of violence**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Kishimoto owns it.**

 **I hope you'll like this chapter!**

* * *

 _Chapter 2) Ten years_

The scent of lavender and freshly mown grass was heavy in the air; a soft breeze made the leaves in the tall trees scattered all around the playground rustle gently. The sun made the playground equipment shine brightly; several small children occupied the playground. A couple of them were playing on the swings; some others were taking turns on the slide and several others were occupying the sandpit, creating castles, food and stars out of the golden coloured sand. The loud laughter and chattering of the children was audible throughout the entire playground while their mothers gossiped with each other on the dark green benches, keeping an eye on their children.

One of the benches – the closest one to the sandpit – was occupied by a dark haired boy with his two friends: a cute girl wearing a flower in her blue hair and a quiet boy, whose eyes were covered by his straight red hair. All three were holding a notebook in their lap, mulling over the mathematics exercises they had been given as homework for that day.

"What do you have for question five, Itachi-kun?" the blue haired girl, Konan, inquired curiously.

Silently Itachi lifted his arm up so that his friend could study his answer.

"What do you think of the new boy in our class?" Nagato asked; his voice barely audible above the ruckus of the playground.

"Hoshigaki-san?" Itachi murmured, recalling the tall, broad shouldered boy with a bluish hint to his skin who had been introduced to their class today. The boy had appeared quite confident, widely grinning – and thereby showing an impressive row of shark like teeth – when he had introduced himself. The dark haired boy shrugged, finishing his second to last question. "Loud, but friendly I suppose."

"Can't be worse than Hidan-san," Konan hummed; her nose wrinkling in distaste.

Hidan was a very peculiar boy; he seemed mostly intent on praising some god Itachi had never heard of before – and he had read a lot of books by now – and antagonising one of their other classmates, Kakuzu. Their fights were already legendary, even though they were just ten years old.

"When do you have to - " Nagato started saying, but was interrupted by a sudden piercing scream, closely followed by crying.

Crying Itachi had become very familiar with after hanging out with the boy in question for five years already. Instantly he shot up from his seat, not even caring that his homework fell down on the sandy ground, and sped over to his little brother who was standing protectively in front of his best friend. Naruto was sniffling loudly; his bright blue eyes glittering with the residue of tears as he clung to Sasuke's blue shirt, seemingly trying to hide himself behind the older boy. Some scratches decorated his knees and there were scuff marks on his clothes.

A bit further away a dark brown haired boy stood, whose cheek was starting to swell visibly and who was clutching his bloody nose. Sasuke was glaring fiercely at the other boy; his hands clenched into fists and he looked ready to throw yet another punch. His little brother had several shallow scratches on both his arms.

Itachi blinked, thrown off by the unexpected sight. "What happened?" he questioned bemused, concern underlying it; his gaze flitting quickly over Sasuke. He didn't look hurt otherwise, only extremely angry.

"What's going on here?" a shrill voice demanded and they were soon joined by a brown haired woman, who immediately started comforting the unknown boy. "Oh my god, Samura! What happened to you? Let me see your face, honey."

"M-mum-mummy!" the boy, Samura, cried loudly; snot and blood dribbling over his face as he clutched his arms around his mother's neck.

"Otouto? What happened?" Itachi repeated his question and right behind him, he heard Konan mutter, "Oh, that doesn't look good."

"He was mean to Naruto!" Sasuke burst out, pointing accusingly at the crying boy. "He was making fun of Naruto's hair, saying it was ugly and not normal! He was mean, Itachi-niisan!"

"So you punched him?" Itachi raised an eyebrow and sighed. Their parents weren't going to be happy at all. How were they going to explain this?

"I protected Naruto!" Sasuke protested; his chin jut up in that particular stubborn fashion of his that told the older boy that his brother didn't feel any remorse at all. "The other boy was mean!"

"Yes, you said that already," Itachi replied wearily, though at the same time he couldn't really fault his brother for reacting like that. He and Naruto were quite protective of each other; they could bicker a lot, but once someone else hurt one of them, the other one retaliated swiftly. Until today, though, those retaliations hadn't been quite this violent.

"Excuse me, but are those two boys with you?" the woman asked stiffly, holding a rose coloured handkerchief to her son's nose. She didn't wait for his answer, but continued, "Aren't you going to make them apologise to my son? They attacked him!"

"Madam, my brother just told me what happened," Itachi said politely, gesturing to Sasuke to come closer to him. The five year old did so, shuffling to his big brother with Naruto closely behind him. "And while they shouldn't have hurt your son, he shouldn't have insulted my brother's friend either."

"Here," Konan murmured and from the corner of his eye, Itachi saw her handing her own handkerchief to Naruto, who sniffled loudly and thanked her in a watery voice.

"Insulted?" the woman scoffed, drawing herself up to her full height. It did nothing to intimidate Itachi, though, who simply regarded her calmly. She appeared to be a bit thrown off by his refusal to be cowed by her height, but continued in a snippy voice, "Samura would never insult someone. I raised him to be better than that! Now I expect those two to apologise to him!"

"Is your son going to apologise for insulting my brother's friend?" Itachi asked blankly, raising an eyebrow.

"Excuse me? No, of course not! He did nothing wrong!" she spat; her dark eyes sparking with anger. "You should tell your brother that lying isn't okay!"

Anger unfolded in him; his little brother wasn't a liar. Whenever he did try, he was so horrible at it that nobody fell for his lies. "My brother doesn't lie, because unlike some other children, he is being raised well," he said coldly and turned around, ignoring the now gaping woman. "Otouto, Naruto-kun, let's go. It's time to go home."

Sasuke threw one last nasty scowl at the other boy – who whimpered and hid his face in his mother's skirt – and then gripped Naruto's hand tightly, tugging him softly along.

Konan and Nagato packed their bags, while Itachi first brushed off the sand clinging to Sasuke's and Naruto's clothes and put their toys in a separate bag before packing his own bag.

"Won't you get into trouble?" Nagato questioned warily, casting a quick look at the woman who was visibly fuming as she ranted to one of her friends.

Itachi couldn't supress a snort as he heaved his bag over his shoulder. "No, not as soon as our parents know what happened. Even if that woman figures out where we live – I don't think she'll do anything."

People were strangely reluctant to rant about either Itachi or Sasuke once they discovered that their father was the police chief.

"If you say so," Nagato sighed and shrugged on his backpack. "I'll see you tomorrow at school."

"I'm taking the bus with you, Nagato-kun!" Konan said brightly. "Bye, Itachi-kun! Take care, Sasuke-kun, Naruto-kun! And don't worry about the handkerchief, Naruto-kun, you can keep it."

"Thank you," Naruto murmured shyly; the handkerchief a crumpled ball in his left fist.

Konan offered one last smile and wave before she skipped away, following Nagato to the bus stop.

"Let's go home, so that you can clean up," Itachi murmured and both boys immediately latched onto his hands; the remnants of sand feeling gritty against his skin.

* * *

The scuffed and messy clothing disappeared into a hamper while both boys took a bath together to get rid of the stubborn dirt. Their shallow wounds had been treated by Itachi and covered by waterproof bandages which were decorated with green frogs; Naruto had insisted on having those particular bandages. They both seemed to have calmed down; there was no longer a scowl painting Sasuke's face and the only proof of Naruto having been upset were his red rimmed, swollen eyes. The blond boy was still a tad subdued, though, so he was probably still thinking about the incident.

Itachi had just returned from Sasuke's bedroom to grab new clothes for them when he heard Sasuke's voice floating through the door left ajar and he abruptly halted, hiding himself behind the door.

"No more crying, okay?" Sasuke demanded and there was a soft splash. "That boy was mean and you can't listen to him."

"B-but maybe h-he's right," Naruto replied, voice quivering. "M-my hair – only daddy has the same colour. Maybe i-it's weird!"

"No, it's not!" Sasuke insisted and there were more splashes. "Your hair is very pretty! It's like gold, see! Like the sun! And your eyes are very pretty too! Like the jewels mummy wears when she has her special nights with daddy!"

"Re-really?" Naruto sounded uncertain, but there was also a hint of hope.

"Yes, really," Sasuke said determined.

When Itachi looked inside, he had to smile when he saw his little brother hugging Naruto tightly. Dark hair clashed against bright blond as both boys clung to each other; two rubber duckies floating aimlessly behind Sasuke.

It seemed like he didn't need to talk to Naruto after all. He would still have to discuss the incident with their parents and Aunt Kushina, of course, but it looked like his little brother could handle this without his help.

He checked a sigh when his gaze fell on the floor, where several puddles of bath water were forming. Unfortunately they still couldn't handle taking a bath without making a mess of the bathroom.

Ah well. One couldn't have everything.

* * *

 **AN2: Little Sasuke and Naruto are just too adorable. That's all.**

 **Please leave your thoughts behind in a review; should you spot any mistakes, please point them out to me.**

 **See you all in the next chapter!**

 **Cuddles**

 **Melissa**

 **P.S. For more information about my upcoming and posted stories, please visit my profile.**


	3. Chapter 3: Seventeen years

**Author's note: Here I am with the third chapter! I was pleasantly surprised with the reviews I received for the previous chapter!**

 **Thanks to the following reviewers: TheBeauty; yukino76; Pen-Woman; Guest; yaoilover1013; EvilThatThata; Ari 347; Anonymous Syd; Kyuubi Kuroba; Narulover247; Meehalla; Saeyoung's Waifu**

 **Warnings: hint of drama; moody Sasuke**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Kishimoto owns it.**

 **I hope you'll like this chapter!**

* * *

 _Chapter 3) Seventeen years_

The young man was jarred out of his concentration when the front door was slammed shut; the force of it causing the windows on this side of the house to rattle. Dark eyes blinked and a pen hovered above the page; Itachi cocked his head slightly and listened intently.

There was a brief silence and then his little brother stomped upstairs, muttering darkly to himself. He passed Itachi's room and his angry stomping made the floor vibrate. Luckily for the younger man their parents weren't home yet; mother would have had certainly something to say about the way Sasuke had arrived home.

Curiosity bloomed up in Itachi when he didn't hear a second set of footsteps chasing after his little brother. _How peculiar_.

Dropping the pen on the page, he pushed back his chair and left his room, just in time to see Sasuke slam his door shut. Really, the rough treatment of the doors was uncalled for; what had they ever done to his brother.

Pursing his lips, he crossed the landing; his footsteps muffled by the white carpet. He knocked on the door and entered the room before his brother had the chance to say anything. When Sasuke was in this particular bad mood, it was easier just to go inside instead of waiting for permission to enter. His brother could be quite stubborn at times.

"Itachi," Sasuke growled; his eyes flashing up with anger. His backpack had been carelessly dropped in front of the door and Itachi pushed it out of the way with his foot. "I didn't say you could come in!"

"What happened?" Itachi inquired, leaning against the closed door. Sitting down on the bed or the chair was out of the question as long as Sasuke was this irate; he didn't appreciate people disturbing his personal space when he was angry.

"Nothing happened," Sasuke hissed, balling his hands into fists. "So leave! I have homework to do!"

"It's Friday," the older boy remarked calmly, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Your homework can wait for a moment. Where's Naruto-kun?"

"Not here," Sasuke sneered, kicking his gym bag to the wall.

"Obviously," Itachi replied dryly. "He is quite hard to ignore after all. Weren't you planning on playing that new video game?"

"Changed plans. He's too busy pining after that _girl_ ," Sasuke snapped; his upper lip curling up in disgust.

The way he said 'girl' was the way other people would say 'bitch'.

 _Oh boy._

Itachi carefully concealed his wince and wondered how exactly he would approach this particular subject. Sasuke had been informed about sex and the changes his body would be going through two years ago by their mother – Itachi still had pictures of his tomato red face as mother forced him to listen to her entire – and very thorough – explanation – but so far there hadn't been a sign of him liking someone. Actually, considering Naruto had a porn author as his godfather, it wasn't that surprising that the blond boy had noticed the other gender first.

"Someone in your class?" Itachi inquired. He didn't think Sasuke was mad because he and his best friend liked the same girl; if he did like the girl, he wouldn't be talking about her in disgust. His brother wasn't that emotionally stumped after all.

"Haruno," the younger boy grunted and fell down on his bed, practically staring holes into the ceiling. "She's new in our class and the idiot hasn't shut up about her this entire week! It's always 'Sakura-chan this, Sakura-chan that!'! It's disgusting how he pines after her!"

"Well, that's just what happens when you have crush on someone," Itachi retorted soothingly. "He'll grow out of that phase soon. You're his best friend; shouldn't you be happy for him that he found a girl he likes? Or do you like her?"

"Of course I don't like her! Why would I?!" Sasuke asked outraged and shot up, glaring at his older brother. "She giggles the entire time, keeps playing with her hair and blinking quickly like she has something in her eyes! She keeps popping up wherever I am and I'm getting sick of it! She's even worse than Yamanaka! Why the hell would I be happy for Naruto for liking a girl like that? She doesn't even look twice at him; he can do a lot better than her!"

Itachi's interest was piqued. "Better like who?"

"I don't know. Just anyone is better than Haruno!"

"Like maybe Neji-san's cousin, Hinata-san?"

Sasuke threw him an incredulous look as if he couldn't believe that his older brother said something that stupid and if Itachi wasn't so entertained by this conversation, he would take offense at it. "What? Why would she better? She can't even talk to him without stuttering and fainting! She's too quiet for him!"

"Hm, what about that girl who likes martial arts? Tenten, I believe?" Itachi mused.

"She's more interested in martial arts than in people. Also, the usuratonkachi sucks at martial arts," Sasuke scoffed and looked away.

"Yamanaka?"

Sasuke didn't bother replying this time, only gave the older boy a very offended look.

"Well, what kind of girl do you think would be best suited for Naruto-kun?" Itachi asked and couldn't contain the note of amusement that slipped into his voice. He was having way too much fun with this.

"I don't know. Doesn't matter anyway, because we're still too young to be interested in girls," Sasuke replied stubbornly, folding his arms as he glared a hole into his carpet.

Right when Itachi opened his mouth to point out that apparently they weren't too young, considering Naruto did like a girl now, they both heard the front door opening.

"Sasuke? What the hell, man? Why weren't you waiting at our usual spot?" Naruto yelled annoyed and there was the distinct 'thump' of shoes being kicked off. "Now I had to buy our snacks on my own and you know the shop owner doesn't like me! You better have set out the games and everything!"

Sasuke looked like a deer caught in the headlights of a car when Naruto stormed inside – and promptly tripped over his own feet, spilling the snacks all over the floor. Arms waving madly in the air, nearly smacking Itachi in his face, the blond boy was saved from a very painful and ungraceful fall by his friend, who jumped off his bed to steady the flailing blond.

At least that was presumably the intention, but instead Naruto knocked Sasuke off balance and they both fell on the floor – the loud smacking sound of mouths pressing against each other was quite difficult to ignore.

Their accidental kiss lasted only for a few seconds before they both sprang apart, coughing and – in Naruto's case – making retching sounds.

"What the hell, usuratonkachi!" Sasuke bitched and punched Naruto's arm.

"Don't blame me, bastard!" Naruto screeched, kicking his friend in retaliation.

"I'll just leave you two alone. Clearly I'm the third wheel here. Enjoy the rest of your evening. I shall knock from now on," Itachi smirked and slipped out of the room, serenely ignoring the outraged cry of frustration emitting from his brother.

Ah, the teasing material this would give him… Sasuke could hardly expect him to forget this glorious teasing material, right?

He'd pick up their conversation again at a later time. There was no doubt in his mind that this particular conversation would be needed in the future.

Being a big brother wasn't always easy.

* * *

 **AN2: So yes, accidental kiss. I just had to write that. I just had to.**

 **Please leave your thoughts behind in a review; should you spot any mistakes, please point them out to me.**

 **See you all in the next chapter!**

 **Cuddles**

 **Melissa**

 **P.S. For more information about my upcoming and posted stories, please visit my profile.**


	4. Chapter 4: Twenty-two years

**Author's note: I'm really happy with the response this story is receiving :) I certainly had never expected that! But I'm not complaining LOL**

 **Thanks to the following reviewers: Narulover247; Meehalla; EvilThatThata; BlogTiger; yukino76; yaoilover1013; xxKuroichoxx; Hatake Tsughi; Aria 347; LiLi P; Anonymous Syd**

 **Warnings: some angst**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Kishimoto owns it.**

 **I hope you'll like it!**

* * *

 _Chapter 4) Twenty-two years_

Sasuke's intense dislike, bothering on hatred at times even, for girls – or as Aunt Kushina liked to teasingly say, "Your fangirls!" – was quite legendary both in their family and the village. He burned every love letter he received with a viciousness that at times worried Itachi; threw chocolates and other sweets straight into the garbage can – even if the boxes contained his favourite sweet – without even passing a look at them and rejected every girl who had gathered the courage to ask him out with such a sneering coldness, Naruto had taken him aside one day and had taught him – or more like practically beaten it into him – the right way to reject a girl he didn't like.

" _No, thank you. I'm not interested."_

The girls still cried, but at least their self-esteem wasn't entirely destroyed. Mostly not. Sasuke's reply of rejection was still a work in progress.

So in all those years, Sasuke had never shown interest in anyone trying to ask him out. The majority in their family had already started to wonder whether Sasuke would ever be interested in anyone – never mind that he was still only seventeen and there were a lot of people his age who weren't dating yet.

Either way, Sasuke had never expressed any interest in someone – which was why Itachi asked his brother to repeat his question.

"I said," Sasuke spoke through gritted teeth; his gaze stubbornly transfixed on the floor, "that I need your help in asking someone on a date."

Itachi leant back against the kitchen counter, trying not to let it show how thrown off he was by the request. "I didn't know you liked someone," he finally remarked after the silence grew tenser and tenser.

Sasuke shrugged, bringing one hand up to rub the back of his neck. "Yeah, well, I do," he muttered and that admittance seemed quite painful judging by the grimace tainting his mouth. "So are you going to help me or not?"

Itachi's immediate response was to tease his little brother, but he reigned in that urge. There was a time to tease the younger man and there was a time to not do that and this was one of those times. It had obviously taken Sasuke a lot to ask his big brother for help, judging by the uncomfortable look on his face, and if Itachi teased him now, he would clamp up completely and they would be back to square one.

"Sure," Itachi replied calmly and grabbed a chair at the kitchen table, gesturing for Sasuke to do the same. His paper for economics could wait. "So, how well do you know this person?"

Sasuke looked taken aback but answered, "Very well."

So that ruled out practically every girl Sasuke went to school with. There were very few people he knew well. "And do they know you like them?"

"No, I never told them," Sasuke muttered, tugging at some locks of his dark hair. "I – they're quite oblivious. They don't know I like them like that."

 _Oblivious, huh_.

Itachi was starting to get an inkling as to who this mysterious person was. "Well, telling them would be a good start. A bit cliché, but why don't you take them to the movies?"

"We – they've watched all the movies that are out right now," Sasuke replied, scratching his cheek.

Itachi raised an eyebrow, folding his hands together on the table. "So, movies are out of the question then. What about taking them to their favourite restaurant? Or give them their favourite candy?"

Now Sasuke started to fidget slightly and he glanced away. "I … can't. They … They won't think it's a date then."

"Because you often eat together?" Itachi inquired knowingly.

Sasuke pursed his lips together and nodded silently.

"Why don't you tell me a bit more about this person you're interested in? It might be easier to come up with ideas then," the older man suggested, resting his chin on his fist.

Silence reigned in Itachi's apartment for a while, the ticking of the clock sounding rather loud, before Sasuke took a deep breath and began, "They're loud. Like really loud and they talk a lot. And I mean a lot; sometimes I can't get them to shut up. They do a lot of stupid things and can be a real idiot sometimes, but," his voice softened a bit, "they have a good heart. They don't care that I'm quiet and they don't try to change me to fit their image. They're always there for me. We argue a lot but at the end of the day I know they won't drop me. They … They accept me like I am."

A self-depreciating chuckle left his younger brother as his eyes fell on the table. "They're my complete opposite. They're outgoing, make people smile. Know how to have fun. They're like …" Sasuke looked lost as he searched for the right word to describe the person he liked. He eventually settled on, "The sun. They're like the sun."

And if Itachi still was uncertain about whom Sasuke was talking about, that particular remark cleared up every doubt. There was only one person who fit that description and honestly, Itachi wasn't surprised that his brother had ended up fallen for that particular person. He had seen this coming years ago.

"They sound like a great person," Itachi said casually, breaking the silence.

Sasuke smiled faintly. "They are."

"So all that's left to do is tell Naruto-kun that you like him," Itachi continued lightly.

"I suppose s- wait, what? I – I don't know what you're talking about!" Sasuke blurted out, panic flashing up in his eyes. His pale skin paled even further until he was as white as a ghost. The chair screeched when he shoved it back roughly. "It- it's not what you think. I'm not - "

"Otouto, it's okay," Itachi said sharply. His tone made Sasuke freeze up and the younger man stared at him wide-eyed, sinking back down into the chair. "It's okay to like Naruto-kun. You like who you like, it's as simple as that. I don't care either way, remember that. You're still my little brother. Who you like won't change that."

"But father might not - "

"If father does give you grieve for it, you can always stay here."

Sasuke bowed his head and his body trembled lightly. "Thanks, nii-san," he murmured and something looking suspiciously a lot like a tear rolled over his cheek.

"Foolish otouto," Itachi muttered affectionately and leant forwards to poke Sasuke's forehead.

"Hey!" Sasuke protested, reeling back to rub at the spot, but his eyes were filled with relief.

"Mind," Itachi continued with a smirk, "that won't exempt you from the teasing I will make you endure when you finally get the balls to ask Naruto-kun out. I also didn't know you could get this poetic when you like somebody. Describing him as the sun in your life – I've never known you could be this cheesy, otouto."

"Itachi!"

* * *

One week later, his phone buzzed with an incoming text.

' _He said yes! We're going out this Saturday!'_

' _Of course he said yes. You've both been head over heels for each other for ages. You were just too stupid to realise it sooner.'_

' _Shut up, nobody asked your opinion!'_

A chuckle escaped Itachi and he returned back to his reading for his statistics class. He would have to deliver his two papers early in the morning, so he would need to leave earlier than usual. At least it would guarantee him a good seat in the aula for his class of economics.

A while later he received another text: ' _Thank you, nii-san_ '.

It didn't say for what Sasuke was grateful, but Itachi had no problems filling in the blanks. It was a thank you for accepting him like he was, for not rejecting him, for not pushing him away. A thank you for helping him even if the younger man would never admit it aloud.

The corners of his mouth curled up into a smile. "Anytime, otouto, anytime."

* * *

 **AN2: All Uchiha have a secret cheesy side *nods***

 **Please leave a review behind with your thoughts; should you spot any mistakes, please point them out to me.**

 **See you all in the next - and final - chapter!**

 **Cuddles**

 **Melissa**

 **P.S. For more information about my upcoming and posted stories, please visit my profile.**


	5. Chapter 5: Twenty-seven years

**Author's note: Here I am with the last chapter! Thank you all so much for taking the time to read it! I didn't think it would be very liked, so I'm glad I was proven wrong with that :)**

 **Thanks to the following reviewers: Meehalla; yukino76; VitameatavegaminGirl; xxKuroichoxx; EvilThatThata; yaoilover1013; TigerInTheMoonlight; Narulover247; Saeyoung's Waifu; Anonymous Syd**

 **Warnings: nothing special; hinted ItaDei**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Kishimoto owns it.**

 **I hope you'll like it!**

* * *

 _Chapter 5) Twenty-seven years_

"I'M LATE! I'M LATE! The pervert is going to freak!" Naruto screeched and barrelled into the kitchen where Itachi had just sat down on the chair with a cup of tea in front of him.

Sasuke rolled his eyes, filling his own cup with steaming coffee. "I told you to get up an hour ago. Why don't you ever listen?" he said exasperatedly.

A finger was pointed at him accusingly while the owner of it scrambled to stuff papers into his bag. "You fucking distracted me, you bastard!" Naruto yelled and practically dove into the refrigerator, coming back up with a bottle of milk.

"Naruto, don't you dare!"

Too late. The bottle cap was popped off and Naruto drank straight from the bottle, before wiping off his mouth with his hand and shoving the milk back inside the refrigerator.

"Damn it, Naruto! How many fucking times do I have to tell you not to drink directly from the bottle?" Sasuke snapped, slamming his cup down on the counter.

Naruto grinned cheekily and kissed him quickly on the lips, dancing out of reach before the dark haired man could smack his arm. "See you tonight, bastard!" He dashed out of the kitchen and hollered, "Bye, Itachi-niisan!"

The front door fell shut behind the blond whirlwind and a minute later the orange jeep roared to life and drove away.

"Good to know having a degree didn't change him," Itachi remarked dryly and took a sip from his hot Earl Grey tea.

"He's a complete nightmare," Sasuke growled, falling down into his own chair. He looked at his cup of coffee as if it had personally offended him.

Itachi hid a smirk behind his own cup. _As if you could live without him_ , he thought amused. Sure, Naruto might get on Sasuke's nerves at times, but despite Sasuke's bitching about it he wouldn't change a thing.

"So I take it that you still haven't popped the question?" Itachi raised an eyebrow, crossing his legs.

A rose hue coloured Sasuke's cheekbones and the younger man looked away embarrassed; his fingers tightening around the ear of his cup. "No, I haven't," he admitted begrudgingly. "I want to make it special, because the idiot thrives on romantic shit, but I don't have any idea what to do." A sigh of annoyance left him and he ran a hand through his hair.

"Why not do the cliché thing and take him out for ramen and get on your knee there?" Itachi suggested idly.

His brother threw him a foul look. "That's not even romantic anymore. That's just utter bullshit. He wants a romantic gesture – at the very least I'm going to make it original."

Personally Itachi thought that Naruto wouldn't give a shit how he was proposed to; all that would matter to the blond was the fact that Sasuke was willing to make the commitment.

"Maybe I should just shove the ring around his finger and be done with it like that. If he wakes up with a ring around his finger, that'll be original, right?" Sasuke mused, tapping his fingers on the table.

"Sure, if you want to get punched in the face," Itachi replied dryly and he received a scowl. "I don't think he'll particularly care how you propose to him, but otouto, I'm pretty sure he wants to be conscious when that happens."

"But I don't have any ideas!" Sasuke snapped and rose up from his chair, striding over to the window.

"You've known him literally since the day he was born," Itachi pointed out. "There has to be something that you can work with. Can't you figure out a proposal by using one of his hobbies?"

"How the hell am I supposed to use his hobbies in my …" Sasuke trailed off, a contemplative look crossing his face. Suddenly he snapped his fingers and whirled around, facing Itachi with shining eyes as he exclaimed, "Plants! He loves working with plants! What if I buy a special plant for him and tie the ring to that?"

"For someone who is emotionally stunted as Naruto-kun likes to put it, you can be very thoughtful when you try," Itachi chuckled. "It's a good idea, otouto. Do you have a plant in mind?"

The bright glitter in dark eyes dimmed and Sasuke's shoulders slumped as he leant back against the counter with a defeated sigh. "No, I don't have any in mind," he admitted with a grimace. "Plants aren't my thing. Never have been. Naruto's the one who takes care of the plants here."

"That I know. You don't exactly have a green thumb," Itachi smirked and slipped his phone out of his pocket. "Lucky you, however, because I know someone who does know a lot about plants."

"Are you talking about that weirdo, Zetsu?" Sasuke frowned, looking apprehensively.

"Nobody is normal, otouto," Itachi chided the other man gently and waggled his phone. "Do you want his help or not?"

"By all means," Sasuke grunted, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "You're accompanying me, though. That friend of yours still gives me the creeps."

The older man rolled his eyes, but dialled Zetsu's number. The things he did for his brother – really, where would Sasuke be without him?

Lost, that's where he would be. Good thing he had Itachi to help him at times.

* * *

A couple of days later he received a text from his brother: ' _He said yes! We're engaged!_ '. Even through the text, Itachi could hear the astonishment of his brother that his boyfriend had actually accepted his proposal and he shook his head with a snort, rolling his eyes.

As if there had ever been any doubt that the blond would refuse.

* * *

"Ladies and gentlemen! Now that these two love-struck idiots have had their first dance, the dancefloor is open for everyone!" Inuzaka, one of Naruto's friends, hollered through the microphone and his message was greeted by loud cheering, before the dancefloor effectively got filled up by the attendants of the wedding.

Aunt Kushina and Uncle Minato were one of the first to dive onto the dancefloor, followed by several Uchiha cousins and Naruto's friends.

"They look so happy together." Mother appeared silently next to him, nodding at the dancing couple a few feet further.

Naruto was laughing, letting himself be twirled around by a smirking Sasuke, before he was pulled back again.

"They always look happy together," Itachi chuckled, taking a sip from the sparkling, cold champagne.

It had taken some effort and quite some money, but Sasuke and Naruto had finally got married today. They had to travel to another country where gay marriage was allowed and thanks to the influence of the Uchiha family, they had managed to get permission to marry here, despite not being inhabitants of the country. Their marriage wouldn't be officially acknowledged in their home country, but for the two young men, it was enough to know that they had at least one official piece of evidence showing their love for each other.

"Maybe you'll find someone soon who you want to share the rest of your life with, hm?" Mother murmured, smiling teasingly at him as she gave his free hand a quick squeeze.

"Who knows?" Itachi hummed lightly. He had been single for a while now since he had broken up with Mei. Being single didn't bother him – if he found someone, he found someone; if not, that was fine as well. He was still only twenty-seven years old; he hadn't had the luck to meet his soulmate so early as Sasuke had done.

A few feet to his right, Nagato dipped Konan low to the floor before he swiftly brought her up again; her gentle laughter reaching Itachi's ears.

"Ah, my little boy grew up so soon," Mother sighed wistfully. "It feels like it was only yesterday that Sasuke was following you around like a duckling, insisting on doing everything you did."

A wave of nostalgia swept over Itachi and he blinked, surprised at the slight sting he felt pressing at his eyes. It was true; ever since he was born, Sasuke had been attached to his older brother, even going as far as throwing a fit if an outsider tried to hold him. This urge to remain near his older brother had only lessened a bit when he started befriending Naruto, but that only meant that Itachi soon had two little boys following him around wherever they could, insisting he played with them.

For years he had been the one they looked up to, who they went to when they were upset and needed cheering up, who they asked for advice whenever they were troubled. Itachi knew of various people whose siblings had started acting up when they had reached a certain age, but the dark haired man could say with relief that his bond with his brother had always been close. Becoming older hadn't changed their bond at all.

Except that from now on, his little brother wouldn't really need him anymore. That particular piece of knowledge was a bit hard to accept, Itachi had to admit.

"You're a wonderful big brother, Itachi," Mother murmured, patting his arm. "I'm proud of you. Of both of you." She grinned and clapped her hands. "Now, let's see if I can convince your father to join me for a dance, hm?" She winked and walked away, searching for father.

Itachi shook his head and smirked, placing his glass on the high table next to him. He wished mother good luck; father had never been a fan of dancing.

"What's a handsome guy like you doing here on your own, un?" a masculine voice suddenly piped up next to him.

Itachi turned around surprised and came face to face with a blond man, slightly shorter than him. A part of his long hair – and it was quite long, easily reaching past his shoulder blades – was put up in a high ponytail and one lock obscured his left eye. A slanted, cobalt blue eye gazed back at him with mischief dancing in its depth. He was quite lean, dressed in a pair of dark blue jeans and a light purple shirt.

Itachi raised an eyebrow, fully aware of the gaze that was roving appreciatively across his body. "I could say the same of you," he remarked. "I don't think we have met before."

"No, we didn't, un," the blond guy smirked, placing a hand on his hip. "Name's Deidara. I'm a friend of Naruto-kun. What's yours, un?"

"Itachi, I'm Sasuke's older brother," Itachi answered and interest stirred in him. There was something about those glittering, blue eyes that drew him in and he had already taken a step closer before he realised what he was doing.

Deidara licked his lips and his smirk widened. "Well then, Itachi-san, care to join me for a dance?" He offered his hand; a blond eyebrow cocked up in invitation.

"It would be my pleasure," Itachi assured and accepted the hand, letting himself be dragged onto the dancefloor by the beautiful blond.

His new brother-in-law gave him a thumbs up and a huge grin when they passed by; Sasuke merely blinked and smirked.

Well, if he had his little brothers' approval …

* * *

This time the roles were reversed: thanks to the little brother, the big brother found love again. For once, Itachi was more than okay with that role reversal.

* * *

 **AN2: The absence of major angst still feels strange LOL For the curious ones: Itachi and Deidara did end up together and got married later down the line :) Both couples adopted children as well. And they lived happily ever after LMAO**

 **So this is officially the end, guys. For the last time, please let me know what you thought of the chapter in a review; should you spot any mistakes, please point them out to me!**

 **I hope to see you all in my future stories as well!**

 **Cuddles**

 **Melissa**

 **P.S. For more information about my upcoming and posted stories, please visit my profile.**


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